One such businessman, Innocent Tawiah, told JoyNews’ Manuel Koranteng that he charges GH₵5 for smart phones and GH₵3 cedi for analogue ones.
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Generator owner charges smart phones for ₵5, analogue ₵3 in Somanya (video)
The electricity power cut to residents of Somanya District in the Eastern Region has opened a window of income generation to some business-minded individuals who use generators to charge mobile phones for a fee.
Phones being charged
He revealed that he is not the only businessman taking advantage of the power cut that hit the affected areas since Wednesday, but that there are other generator owners in various parts of the district that are doing the same.
"Those people in this vicinity visit here. There are places with generators who are charging phones for other people," Tawiah said, as quoted by myjoyonline.com.
He was initially into the sale of phone accessories, but as the situation presented itself, he thought it prudent to cash in on it.
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It is reported that an alleged exchange of gunshots between the military and some residents at Nuaso caused the power cut to all communities in both municipalities, from Somanya to Kpong.
Hundreds of residents in Somanya, Odumase, and Kpong have earlier embarked on a demonstration against the introduction of prepaid meters being introduced in homes and shops by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The protest necessitated a meeting between the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and the traditional leaders of the areas concerned, to reach an understanding on the exercise and how to ensure peace and order.
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During the meeting, the Minister expressed disappointment at the protracted nature of the impasse between the communities and the ECG.
He cautioned the chiefs against untoward public pronouncements that had the potential to endanger the new phase of engagement towards the resolution of the issues.
"Be circumspect in your public pronouncements as inflammatory languages have the potential of affecting negatively the peace-building process. I have no doubt that the peace we have started will end this unfortunate friction that has proven to be counter-productive to both sides.
"Violence must never be the route to solving differences in a country like Ghana where respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability is very much upheld.
"I made it clear that the ECG is for all Ghanaians and thus exists to provide efficient and reliable service delivery to all Ghanaians including the people of Krobo. It is, thus, imperative that there is absolute harmony between the company and the people," the minister said.
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Earlier, the Minister of Defence was ordered by the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament to stop the use of soldiers for the installation of prepaid meters in Kroboland.
The ECG has justified the use of military personnel during the exercise, saying previous attempts at introducing prepaid meters in the enclave caused a rift between residents and workers of the ECG, with a case where ECG officials were physically assaulted in the past.
The soldiers are assisting the ECG with the installation of new prepaid meters following months of hostility between residents and the ECG over the payment of electricity bills.
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